In honor of Eleanor Roosevelt’s passion for human rights, we are proud to spotlight the work of Hope for Justice – an international NGO working on the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery To find out more, watch CEO Tim Nelson interviewed by Eleanor’s great-granddaughter, Sara Boettiger.

The statistics are staggering – millions are forced to work, trapped in exploitative relationships, sold for sex, or even forced into marriage against their will. It’s a crisis that has no borders, touching every corner of the globe.

-27.6 million people living in modern-day slavery (that number doesn’t include the ~22million people in forced marriages)
-1.7 million children are trapped in forced commercial sexual exploitation globally
-In the US alone, on any given day, there are more than a million people living in conditions of modern-day slavery

Hope for Justice works in many countries fighting against modern day slavery. In Ethiopia and Uganda, Hope for Justice runs centers called Lighthouses for child trafficking survivors and those most at-risk of being targeted. These short-term transition shelters offer safety, nutritious food, catch-up education and life skills, and help the children understand their human rights. They get trauma-informed counseling, and the children are also prepared for live court cases by acting out what happens in a courtroom – because they are often asked to stand as witnesses against those who exploited them. After one of these sessions, one of the boys at a Lighthouse in Uganda told us: “Being a prosecutor helped me understand the importance of evidence.” Another child said: “Playing a judge made me realize my voice matters.”

Here is some of the art made by the boys in Hope for Justice’s Uganda Lighthouse project.

This boy drew himself as a police officer, tethered by a rope to another boy, so he “would always know where the boy was and no one could ever take him away.”

This boy drew himself with “bulging muscles” so he could protect other children.

Hope for Justice fights modern slavery and human trafficking on multiple levels – helping victims and survivors directly, and bringing about long-term change through work with governments, law enforcement, the business community and the general public. The Eleanor Roosevelt Center honors the work they do around the world.